It fills me up—every cell, every space, every dark hollow. I swear I can smell the salt of the ocean, feel the sunlight on my skin, warm and bright and perfect. I can taste the sweetest chocolate and hear all my favorite songs and Westlyn’s laughter and the softest breeze through the orchard trees.
All the good things in life, muted for so long by the burden of the curse, now impossibly vibrant.
I can breathe. I can truly breathe. And in that moment, I know.
“It’s… gone,” I gasp, and my little scarecrow nods.
I finally glance around at my brothers, my best mates, and I see the same happiness and wonder shining in their eyes, too.
“There’s one final part,” Westlyn says, gesturing for us to join hands once more, and I recall what she told us about the other bit—that if the curse was broken by one whose love is true, we’d be granted the choice of whether to remain on the earthly realm as immortal gargoyles… or pass on as the men we once were.
“There’s no need for magic,” I say softly. “We can just tell you what we want.”
She shakes her head, tears glazing her eyes. “It’s not the kind of choice you can make with your head, Jude. It has to be the truest desire of your heart—a desire you may not even consciously recognize.”
“So you’re saying there’s a chance we could just… just turn back into mortal men and die?”
Her smile is soft, her voice barely a whisper. “Only if that’s your heart’s true desire.”
“You would risk it?” I ask. “Knowing we might leave you?”
“It’s not my choice to make, Jude. I don’t want to lose you. I don’t want to say goodbye… Iwon’tsay it—not like that.” She reaches up to touch my face, smiling through her tears. “Our time together has been a gift. One I never thought I’d be blessed with. For that, I’ll always be grateful. I’ll always love you. But in the end, the decision is yours. I vow to honor the wishes of your heart, even if it breaks mine.”
Once again, I’m overwhelmed by her capacity for love. By her willingness to do this for us, knowing she might be left alone…
But no. Shewon’tbe. I don’t even know why we’re having this conversation. Iknowmy heart’s desire—it’s her. That simple. So she can do all the magic she wants, all day every day, and I’m still going to be here when she’s done.
One look at the boys, and I know we’re all on the same fucking page.
“So I guess this is it,” she says, and I can tell she’s trying to shore up her courage. “Before we do this, I just wanted to say, I—”
“No goodbyes, love,” Draegan says softly. “Remember? No goodbyes.”
She nods at him and dashes away the last of her tears. Then, with a firm squaring of her shoulders, she gestures for us to join hands once more.
“I’ll say the spell,” she says, “but for this one, you guys need to repeat it too. Three times, just like before. Ready?”
We all nod, and she recites the spell slowly, making sure we’ve all got it.
Then, holding tight to each other, closing our eyes, the gargoyles and I speak the words that will reveal the true desires of our hearts and determine—one way or the other—whether we’ll open our eyes to find our girl smiling back at us, or…
Never open our eyes again.
Magic below, within, and above
We stand here before you, in honor and love
Souls unburdened, truths unbidden
Secrets uncovered, desires unhidden
Our circle complete, our bonds never ending
Reveal our fates as our hearts have intended
At the final recitation, magic gathers around us like a soft breeze, caressing my hair, rippling through my wings, tingling across my gargoyle skin.
Then I feel it onhumanskin,humanhair, as if I’m already transforming. It’s back to my wings in a flash, then bare human feet, then sliding along my tail, testing me. Searching.
